


Surprises

by OccupationLove



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M, al is intelligent, and strong, lud is impressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 15:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15643836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccupationLove/pseuds/OccupationLove
Summary: Ludwig was always convinced that he couldn't love Alfred anymore than he already did. He was so wrong





	Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> For griffon-gal on Tumblr I hope you like it

Ludwig swore if he tried to read this book one more time he was going to throw it across the room. It wasn’t that he was stupid--he knew he wasn’t--but something about trying to understand rocket science made him really feel like he was. Which, you know, made sense. He honestly couldn’t count the number of times that he’d heard the phrase “at least it’s not rocket science” since rocket science was invented. Or _aerospace engineering_ if he was being completely technical.

Anyway, the phrase was how he found himself in this situation in the first place because of _course_ his overactive brain needed to quantify just how difficult a task could be if it wasn’t rocket science. And it turned out that there was definitely a large gap between most normal tasks and whatever this nonsense was. What--how--he was starting to feel like humanity consisted of people so crazy that they made sense. Or at least they made sense to each other and somehow managed to put themselves in space but Ludwig was tired of trying to comprehend.

“What’re you doing?”

Ludwig groaned before looking up at Alfred who was standing somewhat slumped in the door to his living room. He slammed the book shut and crossed his arms, “Nothing important or comprehensive.”

He hadn’t meant to sound so angry but Al’s face contorted in concern as he took a step closer, “Am I bothering you? Or, like, do you need help with some paperwork before the meeting tomorrow? Or…”

No, he was prepared for the world conference; he had been in the library when he finished with that. The library that he had checked the book out of, “No. I’m set for tomorrow and I doubt that anybody could sufficiently explain to me what the hell I just read anyway. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Alfred waved a hand at him and came close to the table where the book was resting, “What’re you...oh!”

Ludwig sighed and covered his eyes, “I don’t even know why I tried, honestly. It all just sounds like--like--gibberish!”

Al sat down slowly on the floor and rubbed at Lud’s leg softly, “Well, it’s known for how hard it is, babe. There’s nothing wrong with getting frustrated with something that’s difficult. I mean, a lot of people don’t understand algebra and all that really means is that they probably shouldn’t go into a career in it. And everybody's good at something! You don’t have to be an aerospace engineer to be brilliant, you know?”

Ludwig pulled his hands down his face still somewhat exasperated, “I know that. I just...hate...that I’ve read the same passage nine times and I still have no idea what it’s talking about.”

Al pressed his side into his leg and smiled up at him, “Hey, that’s me and artsy stuff. What passage did you get to?”

He leaned forward and reached for the book, “I was only a couple pages into it. It doesn’t matter; it’s not like I’m going to need it for anything.”

Al put his head in his lap, “No, but you want to understand don’t you? I know you and you’ve never been the type that wants to give on something even if it is something nearly impossible.”  
Another sigh pushed its way out of his chest, “You’re right but I’m giving myself a headache trying to get the meaning of all of that.”

“Would you like help?”

“What?”

Alfred gave him a soft, almost-shy smile, “I could help you if you’d like.”

Ludwig scooted forward on the couch and pulled the book into his lap, “Okay. Yes--I mean, yes I’d like your help.”

Al grinned and climbed into his lap so that they could both easily see the textbook, “Okay, well, you see…”

It took four hours, a trip to the store to buy a whiteboard, and loads of over-excited hand-gestures but by the end of it, Ludwig was starting to think that rocket science wasn’t so impossible after all. Besides that, his boyfriend was so insanely excited about explaining and he was so completely awestruck by the ease that Al seemed to have even when having to change the lessons into simpler terms that he might actually have been content to continue learning aerospace engineering as a pastime.

The way his eyes lit up and the way he made it all seem so easy said so much about him and he wasn’t actually sure that he had ever been so in love. Honestly, he thought that he couldn’t love Al anymore than he already did just a couple of hours ago. He was wrong; he was so wrong. The way his heart was stuttering told him everything he needed to know. Yes, rocket science is hard. Yes, Alfred is apparently some sort of genius that understands it on an internal level. No, his chest had never hurt this much. No, he didn’t think he’d ever been this happy. Yes, he was smiling like an idiot and Alfred was starting to laugh about it.

Long story short, he was sure that he literally couldn’t love the wonderful genius in front of him any more than he already did.

* * *

 

He was wrong. He was always wrong; why did he keep assuming things that were so untrue. He also didn’t know why he hadn’t learned to expect the unexpected when it came to Alfred being around.

This wasn’t what he was expecting when Italy mentioned his weight. Honestly, he hadn’t been expecting anything at all. Italy was--as usual-- being random and rambling about it was interesting that some countries were small enough to be picked up and other were large and bulky. Heavy. That’s the word Feliciano had used to describe. Which, actually, threw him off a little because it wasn’t the word that was usually used to describe him...not that it was an issue; he just was somewhat confused upon hearing the word. He was heavier than most but the word Italy had always used was “muscular” so “heavy” was a bit unexpected.

Meanwhile, Alfred--who was indeed quite heavy and confident in his body--seemingly had decided to prove Feliciano wrong about weight being somehow important, “Anyone can be picked up if you’re strong enough.”

Feli nodded looking like he was considering something, “Well, yes, you’re right I suppose but most of the bigger nations _are_ the stronger nations. So, it’d be even harder to find someone able to-”

Alfred cut off his rambling by wrapping his arms around Ludwig’s waist and hauling him off the ground. The motion had him flailing his arms and searching for stable ground for a moment before he was gripping onto Al’s shoulders in an attempt not to be thrown off balance. Al laughed and raised an eyebrow at Italy, “See? Light as a feather.”

Ludwig knew he wasn’t lightweight but he had no doubts that he was no burden for Alfred’s immense strength. Somehow, he felt like laughing. There was something wonderful and adrenaline provoking in the idea that to his boyfriend he was actually close to being as light as a feather. He felt stable and like he was floating at the same time. He might’ve been smiling again when Al set him down. He tried to cover the expression with his hand but his brother had already seen it.

“Having a good time, little bro?”

Feliciano was laughing almost excitedly, “Wow, America you really are strong. You see, this one time I tried to pull Germany somewhere and I couldn’t even get him to move.”

It had been multiple times actually, as Italy was always trying to get him to go somewhere that he didn’t want to go but he wasn’t going to correct the ditzy nation. Besides, his head was still spinning from the shock of coming off the floor so fast.

He shook his head and walked toward his seat at the conference table; he wasn’t sure he could handle all of the love ready to burst out of his chest. Honestly, he wanted to kiss Alfred but now wasn’t the time or place. He settled for a glance and fixed his eyes momentarily on Alfred’s grinning face. Oh, he was in deep. He was in so deep and he didn’t know if there was any way out.

Then again, if Al kept surprising him like this then perhaps he didn’t want to get out anyway. Oh, who was he kidding; he never wanted to be separated from Al ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> Any kudos and comments are appreciated thank you for reading!


End file.
